Wow nice photos! Those buggers have changed a lot in beekeeping that's for sure.

06-29-2013, 10:25 PM

Laurence Hope

Re: A quick V. Mite pic

I don't normally call any wild thing "Ugly", but this critter along with wax worms and hive beetles all qualify.
Nice pictures. Thanks.

07-05-2013, 09:28 AM

sinkerone

Re: A quick V. Mite pic

:applause::applause:You figure out how to take a realy nice pitcher ;;;;;;;now figure out how to get rid of those ugly mites;;;;;;;;

07-05-2013, 12:28 PM

CLICKBANGBANG

Re: A quick V. Mite pic

Quote:

Originally Posted by sinkerone

:applause::applause:You figure out how to take a realy nice pitcher ;;;;;;;now figure out how to get rid of those ugly mites;;;;;;;;

Hey thanks! The pic was taken through a field scope with a 5x eye and 10x lens. Camera was a iPhone. Lol

It took 48 hours for that one mite to drop onto a sticky board in this particular hive (natural drop, no treatment). I'll keep monitoring mite levels, but I may not even get the opportunity to treat the hive this mite came from.

This is one of the about hundred species of mites in the hive - don't know yet, what species this one is. Maybe a mite living from wax or pollen debris. Or a predator mite hunting for other mites. The size is like this dot here: "."http://immenfreunde.de/pics/micro/Mik9.jpg

After not finding any V. mites in sugar shakes of two my hives, and only one on a sticky board in 48 hours, I decided to get into some capped drone bur comb to try and find a few more. I cut the comb off, and took it inside to pull the comb open and look for mites. I only opened up capped drone cells that were still sealed, undamaged, and not crushed. I had dissected over 40 cells and had found nothing. I was thinking, "Where are these mites everyone talks about?" Opening the caps with a tooth pick, removing the pupa or larva, and inspecting the bee and cell bottom.